Introduction
Taoism is an indigenous Chinese philosophy and religion that represents the traditional cultural peculiarities of this country. It appeared approximately in the fourth century BCE and shortly became widespread teaching. It is considered that this religion was created by a philosopher and thinker Laozi (Lau-Tze or Lao-Tsu) with his major text Tao Te Ching (Liu, p. 25). The main idea of Taoism, which was represented in the Tao Te Ching, is the conception of Tao as a way of reality and human life development.
The Origin of Taoism
The historical figure of Laozi is usually considered to be a creator of Taoism. Laozi lived in the approximately sixth-fifth century BCE. He was the author of the basic Taoism text, Tao Te Ching that could be translated as The Classic of the Way and the Virtue. However, the history of the book and the figure of Laozi himself is not clear (Assandri, p. 577). A lot of alternative conceptions of Tao Te Ching were appeared, especially in the 20th century (Liu, p. 25).
Not all philosophers believe that Laozi was a real person. His personality is half-mythical. After several centuries of Taoism spreading among the people, it started to be not just a philosophy but also a religion. The historical figure of Laozi became a sort of god, worshiped by Chinese people. At present, no hard evidence of Laozi’s existence could be named (Liu, p. 25). Besides, according to existing beliefs, there was no single author of the principle text. It was supposed that Tao Te Ching was written by numerous authors during several centuries (Liu, p. 25). The original ideas of Taoism existed in the Chinese culture long before the life of Laozi or the text emerged (Assandri, p. 578).
Basic Beliefs of the Religion
Taoism is based on the conception of Tao. This word means way. However, Tao could be understood in three different ways. For the first one, Tao is the way of real development. In this teaching, Tao is the basis for reality, and it fills everything. It is the beginning and the end of all and the heart of the matter. Tao could not be clearly defined or even understood because it is too enormous for comprehending.
The second concept of Taoism is the idea of the way of the Universe. According to it, Tao is the inner power and the essential condition of everything to exist. It is an inexhaustible source and a spirit of all beings. Tao could be defined as the Mother of Life. In this conception, Tao is a flow that pierces everything. This flow is endless, and the more it goes, the more it comes. The crucial characteristic of Tao is its constancy (Smith, p. 126).
The third concept of Tao is the way of human life development. As a flow, Tao should be running permanently without any hindrances. Thus, the central concept of Tao for human beings is the concept of “non-doing” (Assandri, p. 578). It means that people should not struggle, not interfere with the way their life develops. It does not mean that human beings should be passive and do nothing. It means that all actions should be easy and should not require significant force. If a person follows this simple rule, his or her soul could reach Dao, which is the highest goal of existence. Taoism became a widely accepted religion because it contains both the spirit idea of life and the rules of people’s living (Assandri, p. 578).
The Most Appreciable Idea
Taoism is a peaceful religion. Taoists live their lives, avoiding any fights. According to their beliefs, this principle of life might allow their souls to reach Dao. In my opinion, this concept of “non-doing” is the most appreciable idea of religion. This fundamental principle contradicts the Western world mentality. From childhood, people are taught to fight with each other for a better girlfriend or boyfriend, for a better job and a salary, for a better living place, and finally for a better grave. All these fights took a lot of time and energy, which could be assigned to more efficient actions. Reality develops according to its laws. All people are just grains of sand in the Universe. It is impossible to stop the flow of the river the same as it is impossible to halt the flow of Tao.
Conclusion
Taoism is the Chinese religion that appeared nearly the sixth century BCE. It is based on the major text Tao Te Ching which was written by Laozi. This text contains an explanation of reality and the principles of life. The basic idea of Taoism is the concept of Tao as a spirit of all beings. According to religion, “non-doing” means accepting everything that reality brings to people. All the actions should be natural without any struggle. Taoism is an indigenous Chinese religion that corresponds with the culture and mentality of Chinese people. However, in my opinion, the idea of “non-doing” is sage and might be accepted by people of different cultures.
Works Cited
Assandri, Friederike. “Daoism.” Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions, edited by Anne L. C. Runehov and Lluis Oviedo, Springer, 2013. pp. 577-584.
Liu, Xiaogan, editor. Dao Companion to Daoist Philosophy. Springer International Publishing, 2015.
Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World’s Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.